Friday, May 14, 2010

He has yet to coach the Wolfpack basketball team to the NCAA tournament in four seasons, but he's experiencing a huge surge in popularity because he just signed an excellent recruiting class.

Forward C.J. Leslie and guards Ryan Harrow and Lorenzo Brown give N.C. State a class that's rated at or near the top of the ACC. All-Star Sports analyst Bob Gibbons said earlier this week that presuming that Brown is academically eligible (Lowe said he expects Brown to be able to enroll in summer school), N.C. State's class probably noses out North Carolina's as the best in the ACC.

Nonetheless, N.C. State athletic director Lee Fowler was ousted last week, in part because the basketball team's lack of success under Lowe has dissatisfied some fans.

Here are some excerpts from Lowe's comments Thursday night at the Wolfpack Club's Raleigh Caravan stop:

On Fowler's departure: "I have a program that I’m trying to develop. I think it’s going in the right direction. I think we’re starting to get the right kind of people, the right kind of players, in here to compete at the highest level. And that’s the only thing I can concentrate on. One great thing about Lee is that he always talked to me about the business. And coming from the NBA, I knew about the business. And it’s unpredictable. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to you, but it happens. And he was always good to me, and I wish him well."

On wanting to win for Fowler's sake: "You always want to do your best for the people that hire you. But I have a little more at stake than the average guy because I went to school here. So it doesn’t make me work any harder. It doesn’t make me try any harder. I want to win for N.C. State. I want to win for the people that support us. I want to win for the people that are always behind us, good and bad. Those are the ones I want to win for. You want to win for the die-hard fans, which I know we have a lot of them. And I know we’re moving in the right direction."

On N.C. State's recruiting class: "Having played this game before, there’s one thing I know. No matter how good a coach you are, you can’t do it if you don’t have the same type players that the good teams have. And we’re starting to get that. You’ve seen it all over. You have great coaches. They might get a tough team, they might get a young team, and they struggle a little bit. But they’re still the same coach. But I like our direction right now."

On whether the fans are expecting too much from the freshmen: "I like the excitement. It’s hard to tell college fans not to get excited and expect a lot. That’s just the way it is. They’re freshmen. They’re going to make mistakes, but they’re good basketball players. They’re going to do more good things than bad things. It’s going to take some time with them, but I think you’ll see they’re quality players."

On what was the key to signing such a strong class: "Time. Just time. Being able to recruit them as freshmen and sophomores. Not going in as a junior and really trying to get in there. It’s a tough deal. When you’re recruiting against top programs in the country and those are the players we’re going after, you have to wait. You have to be patient with it. Getting [to see] Ryan as a freshman, seeing Lorenzo as a freshman, seeing C.J. with his early commitment, that meant a lot. So time has been the really big deal here. It just took longer than all of us, not just our fans but me as well, but hopefully we’re going to reap the benefits now of being able to be on these guys. And now going forward we have other guys we’ve been on since they were freshmen and we’ll be in the hunt on those guys as well."

On whether the recruits' proclamations (Leslie predicted a top-5 finish for N.C. State) have been a bit too bold: "I’m not one to talk. You let your play do the talking for you. You don’t need to give your opponents any incentive to beat you. But you like the confidence. He’s excited and sometimes guys will say things they probably shouldn’t have said. That just means he’s got to come out and back it up now."

By the end of this year, it will be clear as to whether or not Coach Lowe can get the job done at NC State. He has brought in back to back very good recruiting classes and there hasn't been this much talent in the State basketball program in over 20 years. If he isn't successful this year, changes will almost certainly be made. I'm betting he gets it done.

You are betting he gets it done? Give me a break, what evidence do you have that makes that a good bet? Oh yeah, it's because he likes the direction. This is why the Pack is ok with mediocrity, at best. They allow a sentence by their coach to substitute for actual results.

Yes, state is at the bottom and it's funny to read someone claim otherwise. So, now your benchmark for excellence at State is beating Duke and going to the NIT? We beat you twice, went to the NIT and are ashamed of our year. You, on the other hand, consider it a banner year. This is how far State has fallen. Their idea of success is abject failure by the other two teams close by. State hasn't been relevant in basketball in two decades.

How many banners have the Heels and Dookies hung since you last smelled even semi-competitiveness in the ACC?

Go back to plowing the fields. You obviously know nothing about sports.

Anonymous 12:41 - I dont understand your problem. Lowe said he liked the direction of the program... We have a great recruiting class. That's a good direction. If he cannot coach this team to win - then he should be fired. End of story.

Relax.

And saying statements like, "go back to plowing fields" is a pretty stupid statement. This is an article about basketball. Keep your adolescent insults to yourself. And for you to make a comment about people who put food on your table, work hard and make an honest living is pretty disgraceful.

It amazes me that some Carolina fans don't understand why they're so hated. UNC was the most underachieving team I have seen in a decade last year, and you've lost 2 of your key players for the coming year. State finally is coming around and has what will ultimately be a better recruiting class than UNC but you still tell us to get back to plowing our fields? I'm sorry, we're actually too busy designing and building the places you work, the roads you drive on, and the houses you live in. So in retort I say, get off the internet and get back to making me more money on what I've invested with your bank!!

#1 Duke#2, #3, & #4 will be taken from one of these 3 teams Wake Forest, Clemson FSU, Miami, VA Tech, or Georgia Tech.#5 is NC State

NC State may be top 5 in a crappy ACC but no way in will they be top 5 of the NCAA's (Duke 1, Kansas 2, Kentucky 3, Mich.St 4, West Virginia 5)... NC State will be lucky to get a 5 or 6 seed in the big dance...

p.s. I am a realistic Tar Heel fan... our team will be improved but State will probably be better than us this year...

and it kills me putting Duke as #1 but they are the champs until proven otherwise and deserve the recognition as overall #1 in ACC and NCAA.

You State fans are totally delusional. One guy says he is betting on Lowe, all evidence on the court to the contrary. Then, another guy says State is finally coming around. WHAT IS THIS BASED ON? Certainly not actual results.

OK, I realize State grads aren't the brightest bunch, which is why they typically end up working for us Carolina grads, but follow your own logic for one second here. If you claim UNC underachieved and yet we beat the Puppies TWICE and went to the NIT champ game, what the heck does that say about State? Is our terrible year something you therefore actually envy and consider a yardstick of success? If so, that's pathetic and further demonstrates just how low(e) your program has fallen.

Make the NCAA once in a decade, please. Become relevant in the ACC, heck, become relevant in the state then you can talk all you want about optimism and turning it around. Until then, shut it!

How about you take a field trip to Cameron and the Dean Dome. Look at the beautiful banners and then compare to the ZERO banners your have since the early 80s. You guys are laugh out loud pathetic.

If it was not because of all the a$$-whippings NCSU handed UNC in the 1940s and 1950s in Southern Conference basketball, UNC would have NEVER hire Frank McGuire. In short, UNC was tired of NCSU handing them a beatdown every time and did something about it.

You are really hung up on that 8-20season.... interestingly enough that seems to be one of your only main points. State basketball is a joke. How nice would it be now to have old Herb after your idiots fired him. You are all kicking yourselves in a** now as you watch his teams in AZ make the tournament every year while Sydney make take you to the NIT every now and then.

The only reason I bring up the 8-20 season is because you said our 20-16 season last year is "the absolute bottom". I'm pointing out that 8-20 is absolute bottom, not 20-16.

" How nice would it be now to have old Herb after your idiots fired him. You are all kicking yourselves in a** now as you watch his teams in AZ make the tournament every year while Sydney make take you to the NIT every now and then."

1. State didn't fire Herb, he quit2. Herb has made the big dance once at ASU3. His name is spelled Sidney, with an I.

Now I've heard it all. One State fan is talking about the 40s and 50s, are you kidding me? You have to go back 60-70 years to claim some sort of legitimacy. That is completely laughable.

Then, another moronic Pack fan says that because UNC underachieved and had a terrible season that somehow means the Pack had a great season. Huh? You performed worse than us, were beaten by us yet you had a better season? Let me remind you that your season is dependent on YOUR record, not the record of UNC or Duke. You seem to lose sight of that repeatedly. Your team stinks, and stinks out loud.

And, this obsession with our 8-20 season is absurd. Since then we have hung ANOTHER Nat'l Champ banner, and so has Duke. What have you hung since then? That would be nothing. Well, that's not true, you have hung your heads in absolute shame over your ridiculously terrible basketball program.

UNC had a bad year, we know that. Yet, we beat them Pups. You had a terrible QUARTER CENTURY. Your program is no longer relevant in the state, the conference or the nation and that's sad, especially considering how great you were 70 YEARS AGO.

"Then, another moronic Pack fan says that because UNC underachieved and had a terrible season that somehow means the Pack had a great season."

Nobody and I mean nobody claimed State had a great season. But I guess when you have no legitimate points to make, you can always put words in peoples mouths to make it seem (to you) like you actually have a point.

The bottom line is this: You are a butthurt UNC fan, pissed off from the fact that:

1. Duke just won the NCAA title while UNC couldn't even win the NIT.2. Half your frontcourt depth just transferred.3. State is getting good press because of a great recruiting class.

Keep hating though, I guess you're getting your hate out in May since you're nervous that State will actually be a good team this year.

PS: Football season comes before basketball season. I look forward to seeing O'Brien increase his record over Butch at UNC to 4-0.

Things are getting better in Raleigh? My God, man, what are you smoking. You lost early in the NIT and finished 9th in the ACC. What exactly does getting better entail?

I guess I should remember this is the same school that thought a rubber basketball court and unitards were a sign of the future of basketball. But, then again, they do play in a hockey arena, so we know how important basketball is in Raleigh these days, behind hockey.

Ah, finally, when a State fan runs out of ways to explain away 25 + years of basketball mediocrity, they bring up football. Please note, Einstein, football and basketball are not the same sport.

For the record State fans, a brief review of the rules of basketball. Your team is judged by wins and losses of your team, not other teams AND NOT BY YOUR RECRUITS. You actually have to win to be considered successful, not talk about how things are looking up, which they clearly aren't.

lowe's not a bad in-game coach, but you can only do so much with the talent he had on the court.

i think a carolina fan would be the first to acknowledge the importance of the PG position in college basketball. name the last good state pg? harrow has the potential to be the best pg to suit up for state in the last 25 years not named corchiani. lowe with a guard that can create a shot when necessary is going to be a lot better than lowe with javi, degand, and mayes.

at least i hope he is. i watched enough games to feel he can coach a basketball game and make adjustments, so i'm optimistic they can be top 4-5 IN THE ACC. sorry CJ, i cant get on board with top 5 overall just yet.

"lowe's not a bad in-game coach, but you can only do so much with the talent he had on the court."

So, either you are blaming the players or you are admitting that Lowe is a terrible coach since he has literally done NOTHING with the talent he has on the court. Either way, it's a sad sack tale over in NCSU Hockey department.

I find it to be hilarious, when Heel and Pack fans start going back and forth on my school is better than your school and we're smarter than you and you'll work for us one day, etc. I also find that most of the trash talkers couldn't find either school on a map and never set foot on either campus. The closest they've ever been is seeing them on TV. Classic.

If UNC fans had a great basketball season last year and expected to have a great season this year, they wouldn't be in this comment section talking trash, because normally they think they're above everyone else.

But seeing that they're out in full force, its clear they are scared to death about how their own basketball team will do this upcoming season, so they try and take it out on NC State.

I'm getting so sick of this! This is an article about NC State's basketball recruiting. It is not about either UNC's or NC State's academics! Go back to plowing our fields. Are you serious! I will say that I am an NC State fan, but went to college at UNC-Asheville. While we are stereotyping people based on their school, I guess that makes me a liberal mountain-man hippie or something. If anyone wants to leave a comment on sports, then please talk about sports! It just disgusts me to see people try to hammer someone because they went to a certain college.I am a State fan because my father went to school there, and he lived a long, good life as an electrical engineer. And even if he was plowing fields somewhere, what is the shame in that? Please, stop this now! If you did go to school at UNC, then all you are doing is hurting the reputation of the school that you love. I respect their sports teams a lot, but cannot respect a fan that says such ignorant, moronic statements!

UNC (doctor) and NC State (Engineer) Alumni and sports fans are reading this and laughing our butts off. Is it really that serious?...UNC had the type of season NC State has been having for the past 4 years under Lowe. He's got a solid class, he either gets an invite to the dance this year or a pick slip. Or maybe he gets off with the Ol' Roy way of doing things and act like a blooming idiot the entire season and say crazy water cooler quotes all year and claim his guys are young. Maybe he keeps his job that way. LOL! Either way, we'll still watch NC State and UNC play,...cheer them on no matter who is coaching, or who is wearing the uniforms. Simple as that.

If you went to UNC-Asheville all that really means is you weren't smart enough to get into any other school in North Carolina.

The fact you are disgusted by the give and take between the farmers (NCSU Farm and Feed Supply) and the accomplished citizens (UNC) means you really have no knowledge about college rivalries, not that NCSU Lawn Care is much of a rival to us anymore.

Good for Sid. State fans, don't fight the us vs them battle with Carolina. There is no rivalry, State is irrelevant and you know it. UNC was horrible, but has been to the mountaintop twice in 5 years. You are to date still flopping in the mud at the bottom of the hill. Optimism is all you have, because your results simply aren't good. Accept it like you always do. It's your only hope.

"Your team is judged by wins and losses of your team, not other teams AND NOT BY YOUR RECRUITS."

Clearly evident by UNCs 7 All-American's. Possibly the WORST PLUMMET and underachieving team EVER. I am not sure if there are any other teams out there with so many MJ wannabes that have performed so poorly.

"Clearly evident by UNCs 7 All-American's. Possibly the WORST PLUMMET and underachieving team EVER. I am not sure if there are any other teams out there with so many MJ wannabes that have performed so poorly."

Oh, I'll take the Heels any day over a Puppy team that has underperformed for a quarter century. I'll take the Nat'l Champ banner from 2009 as well.

Nerves are killing them. Ships sinking - facing a 0-4 football record (in their football rivalry). Then getting punked by Duke (SWEEP) in their basketball rivarly. Kids are leaving the team after a HORRIBLE year in bball.

They know they aren't relevant to Duke anymore, so they come to bash NCSU. Kick em while they are down - this year the Dogs bite back.

About this blog

David Scott has been with the Observer for 28 years and has written about ACC, SEC and other college sports in the Charlotte region. He covers Wake Forest, South Carolina and college soccer for the Observer and (Raleigh) News & Observer.

J.P. Giglio covers the ACC for the News & Observer, where he has worked since 1997, and the Observer.

Andrew Carter covers the North Carolina Tar Heels for the Observer and News & Observer.

Laura Keeley covers the Duke Blue Devils for the Observer and News & Observer. Follow her on Twitter.

Chip Alexander covers the Carolina Hurricanes and college football for the News & Observer, where he has worked since 1979, and the Observer.

Luke DeCock has worked for The News & Observer since 2000. He covered the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL before becoming a sports columnist for the Observer and News & Observer in August 2008.

Tim Crothers is an author and former senior writer at Sports Illustrated who is joining the sports staff to write a regular column during the rest of the college basketball season.